Battle of Halicarnassus

The Battle of Halicarnassus (335 BC) was the first battle that Alexander the Great fought against the Persian Empire during his campaign to conquer their lands. After landing with an army of 748 troops in Asia Minor, Alexander the Great laid siege to the Persian city of Halicarnassus, which was held by 28 Persian troops under Vaumisa of Tagae. Memnon of Rhodes and an army of 750 Persian and Greek mercenary troops came to the city's relief, and Memnon and Vaumisa engaged Alexander in a pitched battle outside the city. Using his cavalry to maximum effect, Alexander outflanked the Persians and drew them into his resolute infantry, leading to a Macedonian victory.

Background
Having subjugated the Thracians and left Agathocles the Great to fight the Illyrians, Alexander the Great of Macedon led an army of 748 Macedonian troops into Asia Minor, crossing the Dardanelles Strait on a Macedonian fleet. The Macedonian army constructed siege ladders and laid siege to Halicarnassus, a major city of the Persian Empire that was the capital of the satrapy of Lydia on the western coast. Alexander and his army faced a small Persian army under Vaumisa of Tagae, who was left with only 28 men in the city. The siege at first seemed like an obvious victory that did not require an assault, but instead a protracted encirclement that needed no bloodshed. However, Persian mercenary general Memnon of Rhodes arrived with an army of 750 troops, mainly Persian infantry but also including Greek mercenaries that Memnon brought with him.

The Macedonian army was composed of a tough infantry body of Phalangists, Hoplites, and some sword infantry, as well as Allied Cavalry and some tough Companion Cavalry aristocratic horsemen. The Persian army was comprised of Greek mercenary spearmen and Persian infantry as well as Mardian Archers, charioteers, and some cavalry. Alexander the Great deployed his infantry at the front with his two Companion Cavalry units on the left flank, while Alexander and his bodyguards and the unit of Allied Cavalry made up the right flank cavalry force. His Agrianian Peltasts were positioned behind his infantrymen, protecting them from enemy melee forces while having a good position to attack the enemies with their javelins.

Battle
The Persian army of Memnon of Rhodes went on the offensive to support the garrison of Halicarnassus, making a combined sortie. Vaumisa of Tagae had no army to speak of, so he rode slowly into battle, taking cover behind the rest of the Persian army. The Persian army, much larger than the Macedonian army, was fearsome, but Alexander inspired his troops with an awesome speech. He told them that some of his men would die, but the survivors would have a feast and remember those who fell. With both armies ready to fight, Alexander planned out a strategy.

The Persian ranks were poorly-assembled. They placed their mercenary infantry in front with cavalry on both flanks, but their Mardian Archers in the rear were all pushed together in a way that a cavalry attack could cause a domino effect. Alexander planned his attack with skill: his right flank cavalry would charge around the Persian left flank and rout their small cavalry force before taking out their archers. Alexander led his cavalry in an assault that drove the Persian cavalry back, and his horsemen proceeded to charge the archers. Unwilling to fight against stronger cavalry, the archers routed as soon as they came into contact with the cavalry, but Alexander's cavalry continued to slash them. All of the archers were routed, many of them being slaughtered with their backs to the Macedonian cavalry.

Memnon decided not to react to this attack, as this would give Alexander's main army the opportunity to attack his troops as they focused on a smaller force. Alexander's cavalry retreated through the Persian center, hacking their way through to their ranks, and although many Macedonian troops died in the withdrawal, they reached safety without routing. They reached the rear flank of their own forces, and the Persian infantry that pursued them were forced to come up against the strong Macedonian phalangists and the other infantrymen. Memnon of Rhodes led his cavalry against the Macedonian left flank, but they faced walls of spears that they could not hope to penetrate. The Persian infantry started to retreat back to where they came from, but some units halted in their retreat and made a holding action. Alexander and his army cut them to ribbons, and Vaumisa was killed along with his charioteer bodyguards while attempting to flee. Memnon of Rhodes had a near-death experience when Alexander and his cavalry rode down his bodyguards, and he was the only man in his cavalry group to escape the battle.

Aftermath
The battle led to the inevitable surrender of Halicarnassus to the Macedonian army, as Vaumisa of Tagae was dead and his bodyguards either killed or deserted. Memnon of Rhodes and his army were forced to retreat from the battlefield, and they fled to the Hellespont. His Persian army was forced out of their safety zone, and Alexander began to construct new buildings in Halicarnassus to make the city an effective stronghold for his forces. He also had possession of the Tomb of Mausolos